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Andy Rubin's Essential Phone appeared midway through last year, poised to take on the Samsung-Apple hegemony with a sleek, rugged design. The company skipped updating its phones to Android's Oreo 8.0 release, and rather opted to wait for Oreo 8.1. Today is that day, then, with the company announcing the update is available for Essential phones immediately.

When you're creating 3D models or otherwise running intensive tasks, you want to wring every ounce of performance out of your PC as possible. It's a good thing, then, that Microsoft has released a Windows 10 preview build in the Fast ring that includes a new Ultimate Performance mode if you're running Pro for Workstations. As the name implies, this is a step up for people for whom even the High Performance mode isn't enough -- it throws power management out the window to eliminate "micro-latencies" and boost raw speed. You can set it yourself, but PC makers will have the option of shipping systems with the feature turned on.

Windows 10 S was supposed to be Microsoft's firm answer to Chrome OS, offering comparable security (by limiting you to Microsoft Store apps) while running more powerful software. However, its implementation for home users has been ham-fisted: you have to unlock Windows 10 Pro if you want more freedom, which should (eventually) cost money and is clearly overkill for many people. That's about to change. Both Thurrott and Neowin have discovered that Microsoft is dropping Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product for everyday users in favor of an S Mode, which is already available for the enterprise crowd.

If you've ever wanted to try Apple's graphical interface on the Lisa, the computer that preceded the Mac, you've been relegated to either using an emulator or (if you're lucky) tracking down one of the rare, expensive machines. Thankfully, it's about to get much easier. The Computer History Museum's Al Kossow has revealed that the source code for the Lisa's operating system and programs will be published for free sometime in 2018. And this isn't some unofficial effort -- Apple is reviewing the code itself.

The time of the 32-bit OS continues its slow descent into obsolescence. NVIDIA announced that Version 390 of its graphics card driver would be the last to support 32-bit Windows, Linux and FreeBSD systems.

Google's Pixel 2 smartphone has had a trail of problems following its launch. From software patches to fix audio issues to screen burn-in, the issues keep cropping up, leading the internet titan to extend warranties to make up for everyone's trouble. So, here's another: A small number of users are reporting that their Pixel 2 XL devices are shipping without operating systems.

Apple's last major operating system update of the year is here at last: as promised, you can now download the upgrade to macOS High Sierra through the Mac App Store. So long as you have a qualifying Mac (2009 or newer iMacs and MacBooks, as well as all 2010 or newer machines), you too can see what most of the hype is about. There are some conspicuous app and interface changes, but most of the big improvements are behind the scenes.

Microsoft is aware that there are still concerns about Windows 10's privacy, and it's trying to put some of them to bed with the Fall Creators Update. As part of a post detailing the imminent update's privacy improvements, the software giant has revealed that you'll get much more control over what apps are allowed to do with your device. Where you previously only had control over location sharing, the Fall Creators Update will ask you to grant permission before accessing all kinds of potentially sensitive hardware and software features. It'll ask to use your camera and microphone if you have a video recording app, for instance, or check before offering access to your calendar and contacts.

Here's a statement that would have been unimaginable in previous years: Ubuntu has arrived in the Windows Store. As promised back in May, you can now download a flavor of the popular Linux distribution to run inside Windows 10. It won't compare to a conventional Ubuntu installation, as it's sandboxed (it has limited interaction with Windows) and is focused on running command line utilities like bash or SSH. However, it also makes running a form of Linux relatively trivial. You don't have to dual boot, install a virtual machine or otherwise jump through any hoops beyond a download and ticking a checkbox.

Google isn't going to sit on the sidelines while Apple and Microsoft bring night modes to their platforms. Users have discovered that Canary builds of Chrome OS now include an experimental night mode (Night Light, to be exact). Flick it on and it'll give the screen a yellowish tint that cuts down on blue light and, theoretically, helps you sleep. At the least, it should be easier on your eyes during those late-night Chromebook sessions.

Microsoft has already taken some potshots at Google's Chromebooks in the past -- Windows 8.1 with Bing, anyone? Now, though, it's going for the jugular. The newly introduced Windows 10 S (not Cloud like the rumors suggested) is a stripped-back, education-oriented version of the operating system that gives up some app support in the name of simplicity and performance. You can only run Windows Store apps (including Office 365 apps, which are coming soon), but that's the point -- schools don't have to worry about the vulnerabilities that come with running any old Windows app. Store apps run in a relatively safe container where malware and other threats aren't likely to be an issue.

To date, Microsoft has had a simple strategy for fighting Chromebooks: make low-cost Windows laptops that negate Google's price advantage. However, it now looks to be extending that strategy to the operating system itself. Both Windows Blog Italia and Thurrott have gotten a peek at Windows Cloud (or Windows 10 Cloud, depending on who you ask), a spin on Windows 10 that appears focused on beating Google's Chrome OS. It largely behaves the same as Windows 10, but its stand-out feature is what it doesn't do -- namely, run conventional Windows apps.

Android version 7.0 Nougat launched to all devices at the end of August, offering some long-overdue quality-of-life upgrades. Weeks later at their Made By Google event, the tech giant teased the mobile OS' 7.1 update and a few features, like instant chat support and automatic data uploading to the cloud. Today, they've announced that it will come out by the end of October for the Nexus 5X and 6P phones as well as Google's own Pixel C, with the remaining supporting phones added by December.

Cyanogen is abandoning its dreams of becoming the third big mobile platform in favor of rolling out a modular approach to smartphone software customization. The Cyanogen Modular OS program empowers device manufacturers to introduce "intelligent, customizable Android smartphones using different parts of the Cyanogen OS via dynamic modules and MODs, with the ROM of their choice, whether stock Android or their own variant," according to new CEO Lior Tal.

Windows 10 users had many good reasons to install the Anniversary Update at the beginning of August, even if most changes were incremental. Less loved were the handful of serious bugs that came with it, from breaking webcams to systemwide crashes when users plugged in e-readers. But its worst offense was freezing when users logged in on devices that put their operating system on one logical drive and app data on another. Split users, your ship has come in: Microsoft patched the error in an auto-update on August 31st.

Google is no stranger to creating whole platforms when it needs them, but its latest project might be something special. It's working on Fuchsia, an open source operating system that's designed to scale all the way from Internet of Things devices through to phones and even PCs. Its kernel includes 'grown up' OS features like user modes and a capability-based security model, Android Policenotes, and it supports both advanced graphics as well ARM and 64-bit Intel-based PCs. To no one' surprise, it's using Google's own Dart programming language at its heart.

After a few months of hype, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is here... well, mostly. Microsoft has started rolling out the upgrade to desktop users, who'll automatically receive it in stages. "Newer machines" will get it first. You can update manually if you just can't stand sitting behind the curve. However long you wait, your PC will get more pervasive Cortana voice commands (such as controlling some apps), deeper pen input (including a dedicated pen interface) and a spruced-up Edge browser with extensions.

The Cyanogen team formed a company with hopes of becoming the third major mobile platform, but it looks like the custom Android developer is scaling back its ambitions. Sources speaking to both Android Police and Recode claim that Cyanogen is making "significant" job cuts, laying off about 20 percent (around 30 people) of its staff. Reportedly, this is part of a "pivot" that will focus on apps, rather than an entire operating system like Cyanogen OS. Whether or not that involves the firm's MOD platform, its Apps Package or something else isn't apparent.

Microsoft hasn't done the greatest job of keeping its Windows 10 Anniversary Update schedule a secret (it inadvertently spilled the beans on June 28th), but it's at last official: the upgrade arrives on August 2nd. It's free for anyone who has already moved to Windows 10, so most people won't have to pay for Anniversary features like broader biometric security and pen support, a more efficient Edge browser with extensions, smarter Cortana voice commands and the unification of the Windows and Xbox stores. You'll have to contend with more promoted apps and won't get previously touted perks like messaging everywhere, but those may be small trade-offs given the overall amount of polish.

After 15 years of large cats and a few California landmarks, Apple's OS X is getting a new name that's actually an old name. Apple's senior VP of software engineering, Craig Federighi announced that, henceforth, the operating system on desktop and laptops will be called macOS.

If you think about it, OS X isn't really a great name for Apple's Mac operating system. It was just meant to be the next OS after Mac OS 9, but because it has a nice round (roman) number and used all-new UNIX-based tech, Apple has stuck with the name for nigh on 17 years. According to the rumor mill and apparent slip-up on the App Store, that's about to change, however. It now seems likely that Apple will change OS X to macOS, essentially reverting to its pre-1999 naming scheme.

Now that Windows 10's free upgrade period is nearly over, you're probably wondering how soon those seemingly inescapable upgrade prompts will go away on Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs. According to Microsoft, you won't have to wait too long. The developer tellsWinBeta that it will start disabling the Get Windows 10 app after July 29th, when it'll cost money to upgrade to Windows 10, and will eventually remove the app entirely. It'll take time to wind things down, Microsoft says. The software could still pester you for a while, then, but you probably won't feel quite so much pressure to upgrade after this summer.

Some Linux fans just got a hard lesson about the importance of double-checking install files. The Linux Mint team is warning users that hackers compromised the ISO (drive image) downloads for 17.3 Cinnamon on February 20th, pointing people toward a modified version with a security backdoor. The intruders broke into the forums, too. You're safe if you grabbed Linux Mint through BitTorrent or a direct web link, and it's easy to both verify if you're affected and install a safe release. Still, the developers aren't taking any chances -- they're keeping the relevant server down until they know everything is in the clear.

Update: You might not have to worry too much if you're a victim. Researchers don't believe the backdoor, an attempted botnet, actually works. Also, this was part of a one-off attempt at making a quick buck (a whopping $85) from selling the forum data, rather than some larger, more sinister scheme.

If you're bummed that you won't get Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant when Windows 10 launches next week, don't fret: there's a good chance that you're next in line. The folks in Redmond have revealed that Cortana will be available to Windows Insider members in Australia, Canada (English only), India (also English) and Japan in the "coming months." It'll also spread to Brazil, Mexico and French-speaking Canadians later in the year.